Renew
by liz2413
Summary: "I shouldn't be here. I'm not a hero or a remarkable human being. All I'm known as is Iron Man's little sister. What good is being utterly normal in a group of extraordinary people?" He smiled, examining me with those emerald eyes of his. "Sometimes simply being normal is the best thing you can be." 8 months after Avengers, Loki/OC/Steve HIATUS EFFECTIVE 6/9/13
1. Visitor

**This is my first story, so I hope you guys enjoy it! The only thing I own is my OC Lena. Review!**

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Chapter 1

"Miss Stark?"

My eyes darted upwards from my phone, only to meet the skeptical glare of the businessman, whose name I had forgotten-again. With all the stuffy, suit-clad executives and CEO's in my life it was a sort of memory game to try and recall every single name. When I didn't respond, Mr. Something repositioned his glasses and spoke again.

"Do you have an opinion on all of this?"

I blinked, instantly regretting spending the last 15 minutes chatting back and forth with Natasha. Of course, I had been somewhat listening. Every once in a while a fragment of a conversation would penetrate the sound proof bubble I had formed around myself. A _"This would be very beneficial"_ here and a _"We would love to work with you because..."_ there, but nothing of actual substance. Meaning, nothing that would help me answer the slightly pudgy man's question. The eyes of the 20-something other employees in the room were burning right through me.

"Of course she has an opinion!" Tony interjected, coming to my rescue yet again. "She thinks this deal is pointless, like I do."

Attempting to suppress an outburst of laughter, my hand flew to my mouth. Simultaneously, Mr. Something turned incredibly red, his eyebrows furrowing together in an indented bushy line. My older brother, on the other hand, was smoothing out his blood red tie and standing up from his place at the conference table.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Mr. Parks, I have some more important business to attend to. Nice doing business with you." Tony said as he pulled out a pair of sleek black Ray Bans.

Mr. Parks frowned. "Mr. Stark..."

His sentence faded as Tony turned and heading for the frosted glass doors, me following in suit. The Stark Industries employees had been stunned into silence. They stayed frozen in place, watching wide eyed as we exited the conference room.

I exhaled as soon as the doors swung shut. "You do realize that Pepper is going to kill you, right?"

Shrugging, Tony glanced over at me. "And you realize that you should be thanking me, right? That's the fourth meeting you've zoned out in Lena."

It had been the fifth, actually. Tony had been somewhere in Europe when I had accidentally fallen asleep during a conference with some environmental company. Lucky for me, Pepper had promised to keep quiet. I'd never admit it to Tony, but the business aspect of Stark Industries was an absolute bore to me. It was impossible to count how many times I had wished Dad was still around to be Tony's partner in our namesake's multi-billion dollar company. I frowned as the thought entered my mind again.

"I'm sorry," I said through a sigh. "Thanks for the bailout though. I completely blanked on that guy's name again."

Tony laughed as we stepped into the elevator. "I know you did. Hey, do you mind if we stop by that shawarma place down the block? I'm hungry."

My brother had been on somewhat of a shawarma kick ever since he had eaten there with the Avengers after defeating Loki and the Chitauri. We probably ordered from there at least once every week or so. I wasn't much of a fan, but I figured I owed him.

The elevator doors dinged open as I sighed and nodded. "Whatever you want, Tony."

Linking my arm with his, my billionaire brother grinned. We strutted out into the bustling streets and sidewalks of New York City. October had brought with it brisk winds and fresh, cool air, which I happily inhaled with a smile. Just another ordinary afternoon with my not so ordinary billionaire brother. Or so I thought.

* * *

"We're home!"

Announcing my arrivial back to the tower had become somewhat of a new thing. At first, when it had just been Tony and I, neither of us had really felt the need to alert the other every time we came and went. However, the circumstances had changed once Stark Tower had become home to Earth's mightiest heroes; the Avengers. After the whole Loki fiasco, Fury had decided that it would be easier to keep all of the extraordinary individuals, minus Thor, in one place. That place, much to Tony's dismay, was chosen to be Stark Tower.

For the past eight months our dysfuntional group had been learning how to deal with each other. There were multiple differences that had been a little hard to overcome. While Tony liked to stay up late and party, Bruce had a strict bedtime of no later than 9:30. Clint and Natasha both preferred decaf coffee, but Tony wanted the real deal. And Steve and Tony... well they just disagreed on pretty much everything. In the end, every issue mainly had to due with my brother's stubborness.

Even though they fought sometimes, the diverse group had still managed to get along like a family. I was thrilled to be included in it, despite my lack of a remarkable superpower.

As Tony and I stepped into the entryway, Bruce emerged from his room. "Hello you two," the doctor greeted. "Another meeting?"

"More like another snooze fest." I chuckled, taking a seat on one of the plush couches. "Tony scrapped another deal once again."

"What can I say? I like people who make an impression." Tony called from his place in the kitchen. "And Mr. Parks was boring."

Bruce shook his head and laughed quietly, causing his glasses to slide down a little further on his nose. "I'll be in the lab if you need me."

He silently turned and headed for the elevator that would lead him to Stark Tower's state of the art lab equiptment. That floor happened to be my favorite part of the tower. A love of science seemed to be engraved in the Stark genes. Tony and I had spent countless hours down there, making improvements for the suit and researching anything and everything. It had become my quiet place to get away from the daily Avenger arguments.

"Mr. Stark," Jarvis announced suddenly, turning my attention away from the book I had been paging through. "There seems to be someone at the door."

I immediately popped up from my lounging spot and padded towards the front door. "I got it Tony," I called out, hoping he would hear me in the kitchen area.

A loud knock sounded as I reached for the knob. Twisting it, I flung the door open, ready to scold some annoying reporter or employee. Instead, my eyes met a tall, muscly man with shoulder length blonde hair. Clutched in his right hand was a very heavy looking hammer. He was outfitted in what I guessed to be traditional Asgardian armor. Needless to say, I was a little surprised.

"Thor? What are you doing here?"

Avoiding my question, he asked one of his own. "Hello Lady Elena. The others, are they here?"

I nodded, briefly glancing behind me. "Yeah, they live here now. Is something wrong?"

The God of Thunder looked grim, the usual cheerfulness gone in his accented voice. I realized I had never actually seen Thor without a smile on his face for this long. It was obvious that something was up.

"I need their help," he started. "Asgard is in danger."


	2. Proposition

**Thank you to kstar26 for being my first reviewer! I was very excited to see it :) In this chapter we should find out what's going on in Asgard and why Thor needs the Avengers! I apologize if it's a little boring, but I have to set the stage for the really good stuff. Review review!**

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Chapter 2

"What are you doing here, MC Hammer?" Tony questioned the Asgardian, crossing his arms over his chest.

Thor took a moment looking confused at his new nickname. "As I said, Asgard is in danger."

"What do you mean, _in danger_?" My voice was a little clipped, definitely from the nervousness I was beginning to feel in the pit of my stomach.

The god shook his head, blonde strands of hair coming free from behind his ears. "I shall explain once the others are present. There is much to tell."

Tony immediately glanced towards me. With a single nod from him, I headed away from the foyer and towards the guest rooms. They technically _were_ still guest rooms. The team hadn't been extremely keen on any personal decorating choices, despite my offer to help them. I guessed it was because there was still a possibility for a headquarters for the Avengers apart from Stark Tower. Fury had been teasing it for a few months now, but more important matters always seemed to come up.

Remnants of the two boys' conversation faded from my ears as I stepped in front of Clint Barton's door. Knowing that the slightest noise would alert SHIELD's sharpest archer, I faintly knocked. As predicted, Clint appeared before me in a matter of seconds.

"Hey Lena," he greeted coolly.

I smiled. "Hi Clint. I just came to tell you-"

A flash of red caught my eye and abruptly ended my sentence. Natasha Romanoff appeared behind her fellow SHIELD agent, a curious look in her dark eyes. It wasn't that much of a surprise that Hawkeye and Black Widow were in the same place yet again.

"Hi there, Nat." I said with a small wave and a smirk.

Clint's cheeks flushed a light pink. "We were just..."

"As I was saying," I interrupted quickly, hoping to spare myself with whatever explanation Agent Barton had hastily concocted. "Thor's here. Don't ask why, because no one really knows yet. Meet in the living room, okay?"

The two nodded in sync, Natasha taking a step forward towards the doorway. "We'll grab Banner. You can go get Steve."

At the sight of her knowing smile, it was my turn to blush. Being the only other girl in the tower apart from Pepper, Natasha had become my trusted confidant in everything. She was surprisingly a very good listener and even better at providing me with advice. Numerous sticky situations had been avoided due to her good judgment and impeccable spy skills. 2 months before, she had helped me evade a crazy ex-boyfriend.

"Sounds good," I agreed, quickly spinning on my heel to avoid any questioning of my rouged cheeks.

Steve Rogers' room was all the way down at the end of the red walled hallway. It was the one with the most space and also the largest terrace overlooking the city. He had been the obvious choice to take up residence there, considering Captain America was more or less the leader of the Avengers. It hadn't exactly been easy convincing him to take it. Steve was unquestionably the most modest of the group and had insisted that Natasha should have the room. That argument had been ended by a stern and somewhat frightening stare from the Black Widow.

Taking a moment to compose myself once I reached Steve's room, I gently knocked. Much like Clint had, Steve appeared moments later. He was smiling, as usual, and looked a little sweaty. It was apparent he had come from the Stark Tower gym.

"Hello Lena, how are you?" he welcomed me. Sometimes the way he spoke so politely was the only thing that reminded me he had grown up in the 30's and 40's.

"Good," My voice was noticeably uneven. "Thor is, uh, Thor's here. In the living room, actually. Tony wanted me to come and get you."

Steve's blue eyes stayed locked with my own as he slowly nodded, processing the information. "Do we know why he came unannounced?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. Black strands of hair that I had earlier secured in a ponytail were beginning to break loose.

"Well," he began with a grin. "Let's go find out."

* * *

Tony was glaring at me.

I had sneakily stolen his favorite chair, leaving him standing as we all listened to what Thor was beginning to explain. The other two couches were filled with the rest of the Avenger team, each one attentively looking towards their Asgardian friend.

"Yesterday my father received some very troubling information," Thor began before being cut off by Tony.

"Here we go again," he sighed. "So what is Reindeer Games up to this time?"

We all knew that he was referring to Loki, Thor's younger adopted brother who they had fought against (and defeated) less than a year ago. Clint's face noticeably paled, while Steve's expression hardened. Natasha and Bruce seemed fairly unfazed. At the sound of Tony's degrading nickname, Thor frowned.

"This threat did not come from my brother."

"What?" Bruce spoke up, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. His question was answered with a shake of Thor's head.

Steve spoke from his place on the couch across from me. "Then who is threatening Asgard."

"There is a Titan known as Thanos," Thor began to explain. "He is more powerful than I and any Asgardian I know. A day ago, my father received news of a message received by our trusted friend Heimdall. Thanos has threatened to destroy my realm unless we surrender within a Midgardian month."

The room was silent for a moment. Even Tony had nothing sarcastic to say. Well, not _yet_.

"So you want our help?" Natasha asked. "It seems like humans wouldn't really stand a chance against a Titan."

"My father knows of our successes against the Chitauri. I believe that with more training in Asgard, we will defeat Thanos."

For most of the conversation, I had sat idly by and listened. Glancing towards Tony briefly, I decided to speak up. "Are humans even allowed in Asgard?"

The group turned to look at Thor, obviously wondering the same thing. Except for Tony, who was staring at me with intense brown eyes. Most likely questioning why I would be asking such a thing. He wanted to keep me as far away from the dangerous aspects of his life as possible. I didn't blame him, but I didn't have to like it.

"It is allowed with permission from the All-Father," Thor answered. "He approves of my idea to request your assistance."

"Of course we'll help ya, big guy. This Thanos guy won't know what hit 'em." Tony spoke as he walked over to pour himself a glass of one of his many alcohols.

Steve stood up also, looking pointedly at my brother. "Hold on, Stark. Shouldn't we tell Fury about this?"

Rolling his eyes, Tony took a sip of his drink and leaned against the bar in the kitchen. "Fine. Get Director Fury on the phone Jarvis. If you need me, I'll be in the lab."

Setting his now empty glass on the counter, Tony smiled and stalked off towards the elevator. The rest of us stayed seated, listening to the dial tones as we waited for Nick Fury to answer his cell phone.

Numerous things were running through my head. I didn't know what this knew assignment would mean for the Avengers. I didn't know how to prepare them or myself for what was to come. And I sure as hell didn't know how I was going to convince Tony to let me come along as a temporary team member. The one thing I was sure of was that I would be going to Asgard, and that no one, not even the great Iron Man, could stop me.

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**So that's chapter 2! I know it was a little boring. The next chapter will sadly be similar, but hopefully chapter 4 will get more exciting :) I don't know that much about Thanos, only what I've read on wikipedia. But was anyone surprised that Loki _wasn't_ the problem this time?**

**Please review!**

**xo, liz**


	3. Conflicts

**Hello! I took a day off from updating since I was so busy yesterday. This might be another boring chapter, sadly. I promise it's going to get exciting soon though!  
**

**MadXHatterX94- thank you for saying you love the story so far! Here's the update :)  
Alyssa43- thank you! and here is an update for ya!  
kstar26- thanks for another review! I'm so glad you are liking it so far. And yes, Lena might have to resort to that if a certain older brother doesn't want her coming along to Asgard... ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

Nick Fury was mindlessly pacing back in forth in front of one of the many huge windows located in the living room of Stark Tower. The usual hardened look in his eyes-or _eye_-was present, his calloused hands clasped behind the back of his black trench coat.

The Director had been like this ever since Thor had finished outlining the current problem at hand; the safety of Asgard. I and the rest of the Avengers were watching expectantly, waiting for the SHIELD director's answer. Except for an annoyed Tony, who had been called back from his solitude in the lab and was working on some adjustments for his Iron Man suit on a tablet.

Fury suddenly halted and turned to face us again. "So let me get this straight. You all want to travel off to a distant realm for an entire _month_, learning how to fight against a Titan who very well may be ten times stronger than the Hulk?"

Bruce shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I involuntarily glanced towards Steve, wondering if they Captain had anything to say about this. His blue eyes were averted towards the ground, his mouth drawn in a narrow line. If he had planned on saying anything, Clint beat him to it.

"That's about right, sir."

Shaking his head, Fury responded. "What if we need your help here on Earth when you're in Asgard?"

That was the first flaw discovered in the master plan. Due to the looks on the team's faces, none of them had considered the scenario that Fury had just brought up. It made my furrow my brow as well. Was there even a way to communicate with Earth on Asgard? If not, then that was definitely something we would need to figure out.

Natasha, who had only said one thing the entire time, spoke up. "Then we'll come back."

Another lengthy gap of silence enveloped the room. The discussion seemed to have reached a stalemate. The Director didn't have anything else to disagree on, while the Avengers didn't have anything else to convince him with. I felt a bit like an outsider in the group, having said nothing the entire time. The situation had been more of something for me to watch than be a part of.

"Alright," Fury suddenly gave in. "When do you leave?"

A renewed grin on his face, Thor stood and faced all of us. "We must go as soon as possible. There is no time to be wasted. Tomorrow at sundown we shall depart."

"Well gang," Tony started, setting down the tablet and rising from his lounging spot on a nearby couch. "We better get packing."

I could feel my window of opportunity slowly beginning to close. If I wanted to be a part of this mission, I was going to have to speak up soon. The rest of the team was slowly getting up and beginning to head off to their respected rooms. Without any further consideration, I leapt up.

"Wait!" I blurted quickly, resulting in everyone turning and looking my way. I took a deep breath. "I want to go to Asgard. I want to help."

My older brother immediately began laughing. Clint and Bruce looked somewhat confused, while Natasha was smiling at me with what looked like a little admiration. Fury, being the emotional man he is, didn't really react. And Steve had a look that appeared concerned as he darted his eyes between Tony and I.

"Not happening." Tony said sternly, already starting to walk away.

My cheeks flushed yet again, but from anger instead of embarrassment. He was treating me like a child and excluding me. Again.

"_Tony!"_ I snapped, successfully getting him to face me again. The usual smirking billionaire looked the opposite of pleased.

He raised his index finger and pointed it in my direction. "It's dangerous and you know it. There is no way I'm putting you in a situation where you can't even hold your own. You're staying here Lena."

Everyone had been silent as they watched us two Starks duke it out. They were glancing at each other every once in a while, as if silently conversing over whether or not they should leave. I was too angry at my brother to care that I was acting borderline childish.

To my surprise and excitement, Natasha stepped forward. "She helped a lot with researching the Tesseract, Tony. We could really use-"

"Don't get into this," He almost shouted, never taking his eyes away from mine. "She isn't going, and that's final."

It was impossible to describe how mad I was at my older sibling. I could've slapped him across the face if he had been standing closer. From the look on his face, it appeared he could've done the same to me. Without another word, Tony stomped off towards his room.

"Tony!" I yelled again, to no avail. "Tony!"

I winced as what had to be his bedroom door slammed shut. The beginnings of tears were starting to form in my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for the group of people who already saw me as weak to see my cry. It would only enforce why Tony wanted me to stay as far away from Asgard as possible.

"Lena," I heard Bruce say quietly.

But I was already walking away, towards the elevator. I didn't really have a specific destination in mind. All I knew was that I needed to be alone, away from all these people that made me feel so painfully ordinary.

* * *

I didn't usually have any use for the gym floor of Stark Tower. Every once in a while, I would run on one of the treadmills or, on rare occasions, lift some weights. My exercise of choice was usually jogging through the streets of New York City, especially Central Park.

So it was odd that I had found myself pushing the button for floor number 24 as soon as the elevator doors had closed. A pair of boxing gloves that ended up being too big caught my attention. Slipping them on while kicking off my shoes, I stepped towards the monstrous punching bag that hung from the ceiling. Slamming my fist into the dense material felt good even though it barely moved the bag an inch. I wanted to hit something over and over again, just to get rid of all the rage I was feeling against my older brother.

The punching had gone on for at least 10 minutes now. Sweat was plastering loose hairs to my forehead. The gloves weren't enough to protect my knuckles from throbbing. I kept going even though it hurt. It wasn't until I heard someone calling my name that I dropped my arms to my sides and exhaled.

"Lena?"

Steve's voice was laced with the same concern I had seen on his face just earlier. I didn't want to turn around and let him see my broken expression. Even better, I was a gross and sweaty mess. Pulling the gloves from my hands, I tossed them to the ground. The punching bag was still barely swaying back and forth.

"Are you alright?" Steve spoke again. He got the better of me. Putting a small smile on my face, I slowly turned around.

"How'd you know I was down here?"

The Captain shrugged. "I come here when I get upset. I thought we might have that in common."

My lips parted, but no words came out. What was I supposed to say? I had just looked like a fool in front of everyone. Defending my case wouldn't do me any good unless Tony agreed. No one in this entire world would be able to convince him otherwise.

Steve stepped forward and leaned against one of the multiple posts throughout the gym. "He's just trying to protect you Lena. I don't think he would ever be able to forgive himself if something happened to you."

I frowned. "So you don't want me to come along either I guess."

It came out colder than I wanted. He was only trying to make me feel better, and I knew that. The mood I was in wasn't really letting anyone off easy though.

"None of us want to see you get hurt," Steve started softly. "You're not just another soldier or SHIELD agent. You didn't sign up for a dangerous lifestyle. I know you want to help, but it's too big of a risk. I can't..." He trailed off. "We can't lose you. Even though we're supposed to be the mighty Avengers, we wouldn't be able to handle it. Tony knows that."

My voice was quiet. "I can't sit here and do nothing while you're off fighting. I want to help."

Steve looked at me sincerely with his light eyes. "Knowing that you're safe will help me more than you can imagine."

Despite my sour attitude, I couldn't help but smile.

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**So what did you guys think? I was happy to add a little Steve/Lena moment in there :) Next chapter, the Avengers are off to Asgard! I am very very excited to write these next two chapters so you can be sure of an update very very soon. Oh and we get to see a little bit of Loki next chapter too :)**

**It would be so awesome if I could get at least 3 more reviews before the next update. Your feedback will really help me out and maybe give me some more ideas for the story! Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**xo, liz**


	4. Departure

**Hello again! I had been planning on updating MUCH earlier, but everything seemed to be getting in the way. I was excited to see so many new reviews!**

**Cheekymonkey97- I'm not really sure what that means, but thanks for a review!  
Avalongirl55- Thank you for saying that! I've been trying so hard to make Lena an interesting character!  
kstar26- Read this chapter and you'll find out!  
Alyssa43- I had planned on including Loki in this chapter, but it didn't work out. He will definitely make an appearance in chapter 5 though :)**

**So this ended up being the longest chapter so far, almost 2,000 words! I hope you guys enjoy it!**

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Chapter 4

I didn't sleep much that night. Although whether that was from anger or confusion was unknown to me as I stared upwards at the blank ceiling for hours, occasionally getting up to look out a window. I had opted to go to bed early, while most of the Avengers had stayed up and conversed in the living room or began their packing. Not that my early retiring to my room had even mattered. It was well after 4 a.m. when I finally drifted off into slumber.

My conversation with Steve hadn't lasted much longer after his long speech about why I needed to stay here. We had both agreed that boxing probably wouldn't be my best sport, and headed towards the elevator that took us up to the main level. Luckily the rest of the Stark Tower residence weren't around, meaning I didn't have to look at their sympathetic stares or hear their attempts at making me feel any better. That was when I had said good night to Steve and walked towards my bedroom.

The sun was shining straight in my eyes when I woke up. Funny thing was, that _never_ happened. I always kept my blinds tightly shut, protecting myself from the harsh rays that hit my bedroom window when the sun rose. Shielding my face with my hand, I slowly sat up. Sure enough, the shades were wide open.

"Time to get up!" A cheerful voice chirped from somewhere behind me.

It took everything in me not to jump 3 feet in the air and scream. It wasn't a common thing for Tony's former assistant and current girlfriend to sneak in my room and wake me up. She stepped to the foot of my bed, with a smile on her face. I could tell that she'd been up for a while. As usual, she was wearing a coordinating dress suit, orange hair thrown into a sophisticated bun.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," I muttered sleepily.

Pepper only smiled. "It's already noon. Tony said that you should be up by now."

I rolled my eyes at the thought of my older brother and fell back onto the sheets. Of course he would send Pepper to get me up instead of him. He was probably still upset with me from our disagreement yesterday. I couldn't exactly blame him though, since I didn't feel like speaking to him either.

I shut my eyes, hoping that I would magically fall back to sleep. It didn't work. "Who cares what Tony says."

The bed shifted, most likely from Pepper sitting down. "He told me what happened between you two. I, of all people, know how stubborn your brother can be. He's just trying to protect you, sweetheart."

My brown eyes opened as I sat up again to face Pepper. In the mood I was already in, I could've yelled or screamed at her. But it was Pepper, and she had always been nothing but nice to me. It would've been impossible even if she wasn't giving me a warm and reassuring smile.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

She shrugged. "Because it's the truth. Tony is the only man I know who is stupid enough to make crazy, life-threatening decisions, but rational and caring enough to keep everyone he loves out of harm's way."

A small laugh escaped my lips despite the angry front I had put up. "I just don't understand why he won't let me help. It's not like I'll be out fighting Thanos all by myself. For all I care, I can spend the entire month sitting in an Asgardian library researching stuff."

Pepper nodded, pushing some escaped strands of hair behind her ear. "I tried talking to him earlier, but he doesn't seem too keen on changing his mind. I'm sorry, Lena."

The thought of Pepper trying to help me out made a smile appear on my lips. "Thanks anyway, Pep."

Sighing, she rose from her spot on the bed and smoothed out her skirt. "Well, I've got to go help Tony pack. I'll try convincing him one last time."

"Thanks again," I said as Pepper headed for my bedroom door. She gave me one last smile and exited through the doorway.

Deciding it was probably time for me to get dressed, I slowly climbed out of bed and stood up. As I stretched my arms over my head, something in the corner of the room caught my eye. Miscellaneous technological equipment was sitting in a neat pile, next to one of my old duffel bags. I remembered that I was supposed to take that over to SHIELD to donate. The random electronics might be considered outdated to a Stark, but to SHIELD they were the equivalent to shiny new toys. Fury and the rest of the agents were always eager to get their hands on Stark technology, used or not.

It was then that I realized I didn't need Pepper's help convincing Tony. I had just formed a plan of my own.

* * *

"What's that?"

The moon was shining high in the dark sky outside the window of the jet black SHIELD vehicle. It was midnight, and I was beginning to feel tired due to my lack of sleep the night before. Tony was pointing to the blue duffel bag sitting by my feet, a skeptical look on his face.

"Just some old equipment that we don't need anymore." I explained smoothly. "I'm handing it over to Fury once we get to the park."

The car was in route to a now deserted part of Central Park. It had been the location chosen for the Avengers to get sent off into Asgard. SHIELD agents had been there all day, creating a perimeter and making sure no one came anywhere near the area. The whole thing seemed a little overboard to me, but I understood why the secretive government agency wouldn't want any innocent bystanders watching an entire group of people just disappear into thin air. They already had too many other problems on their hands.

Tony glanced at me for a moment and I feared he was seeing the lie in my statement. Instead of pursuing any further questions, he smiled and turned to mutter something to Pepper, who was seated on his other side. We were also riding with Clint and Natasha, who were sitting very quietly in the back seats. Steve, Thor, Bruce, Director Fury and Agent Hill were in a separate car that was following behind ours. Even though we weren't officially allowed to go to Asgard, Pepper and I were allowed to come to the park to see everyone off. That luckily coincided perfectly with my plan.

I felt our motion slowly coming to a halt. Suspicions were confirmed when the driver turned to face us and said, "We're here."

My hand quickly shot to the door handle, eager to get outside. The car hadn't been very spacious and most of the ride I spent pushed against the window. Judging from the cold wind, the temperature was somewhere around 40 degrees. I shivered in my green pea coat as I emerged from the vehicle, duffel bag in hand. The others could be seen getting out of their car from where I stood. Director Fury was heading straight towards a wide open grassy area that was a few feet past some trees. I guessed that was where the "lift off" point was.

"Why are you bringing that?" Tony asked me as he came around from the back of the SUV.

I looked at him over my shoulder, beginning to walk in Fury's direction. "I told you, I'm giving it to Director Fury."

He stayed silent as we strolled towards the others. I was a little surprised to see that all of the SHIELD agents from earlier had vacated the area. Fury must've wanted this to be as small of an operation as possible. Well, apart from the hours it had taken to set the thing up.

"So," Fury was saying to Thor as we approached the congregation of people. "You're sure that they'll know where you are?"

Thor nodded. "Heimdall sees all."

Although none of them probably knew who Heimdall actually was, the Avengers had all agreed to let Thor take the reigns for this mission. He was obviously the Asgardian expert, having lived there for centuries.

Director Fury turned to face us. "Okay then. Get ready to go then."

The duffel bag was beginning to feel like a weight in my hands. The leather handles were closed to slipping from my grasp, due to the nervous sweatiness on my hands. From the corner of my eye I saw Tony give Pepper a kiss on the lips, pulling her in for a quick embrace. Clint and Natasha, small suitcases in hand, were talking quietly as usual. I felt a tap on my shoulder and almost dropped the bag. Spinning around, I saw that it was Steve. Needless to say, my cheeks flushed.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," He said, setting his luggage on the ground. "We won't be seeing each other for a month."

It took me a moment to respond. "Yeah, I guess not. Do me a favor and try to keep Tony from doing anything stupid, alright?"

Steve smiled and laughed, his blue eyes crinkling. All of a sudden, he was hugging me. The duffel fell to the ground and I returned the gesture by wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Excuse me, Capsicle."

Pulling away from the hug, I saw that Tony was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. Eyes narrowed, he was looking at me expectantly. Steve noticeably frowned at my brother's appearance, but willfully stepped aside.

"Bye Lena." He nodded, a small grin on his face.

As Steve walked away, Tony stepped towards me. His expression was more relaxed than before. A sense of relief washed over me. He didn't appear to be mad anymore, although I knew that would change in the next few minutes.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," Tony said quietly.

Involuntarily, my eyes widened. Throughout my 25 years of life, I had only heard Tony Stark willingly _apologize_ to me four times. I glanced around to make sure no pigs were flying.

He continued when I didn't say anything. "It's for your own good, Lena, even if you think otherwise. Besides, someone needs to keep Jarvis company. I know that Pepper will be there, but I've always had this feeling that he prefers you because-"

"Bye Tony," I said through a laugh, cutting off his train of thought.

I hugged him tightly, only releasing when Fury announced that it was time for the group to go. The heavy duffel bag found its way back into my hand and I stepped over to where Maria, Pepper, and now Fury were standing. The Avengers, all with bags except Thor, gathered in an area about 8 feet away from us. Close enough to reach in a matter of a few steps.

"We must concentrate on our destination," Thor explained as he placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Imagine Asgard."

"Whatever you say, Point Break." Tony sighed as he glanced down at his wristwatch.

That's when I saw it. A tiny pinprick of bright light in the sky, becoming larger and more luminous as it shot down towards the Avengers. I probably had a window of maybe a second. This was going to be my only chance. Clutching my duffel bag, I dashed forward into the glow as it enveloped the team. I heard Pepper yell my name, along with Fury.

But I was already gone.

* * *

**Okay.**

**If anyone is confused at the end, DON'T WORRY because any questions will be cleared up next chap. I was mainly worried about people understanding the relevance of the duffel bag (that'll be explained next chapter). I would love love love to see 3 or 4 more reviews before the next update! Since school is back in session :( I might not have a chance to update as much. But don't worry, I promise not to fall of the face of the Earth or anything. Oh and Loki will _definitely_ be in the next chapter, in case any of you are waiting to see Lena meet him. **

**REVIEW!**

**xo, liz**


	5. Arrival

**Long time no see! I AM SO SORRY! I had 3 tests this week plus a speech to prepare for, so I didn't have much free time. But finally, here is the chapter where Lena meets Loki! **

**Alyssa43- so glad you loved the chapter!  
XxLovelyLittleMeXx- it's so awesome to hear that you love the story so far! here's the next chapter for you!  
Cheekymonkey97- don't worry about it! and we will get to see what Tony thinks about this situation _next_ chapter :)  
kstar26- woo hoo!**

**So this is kind of a mid-length chapter. I hope I got Loki's character right! Enjoy and review :)**

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Chapter 5

Something was nudging me.

At first I ignored it, my pounding head willing me to keep my heavy eyes shut. The nudge came again, harder this time, along with a slight shake of my shoulder. At the movement of my muscles, I groaned. My limbs seemed to be screaming in pain, as well as the rest of my body. Hoping to escape another touch, I slowly and gingerly opened my eyes.

For a moment I forgot where I was-or hoped I was. The sky was a mixture of blue, purple, and pink, signaling the transition into evening. Clouds were a peachy color instead of white, reflecting the sunset developing around them. I tilted up my head a little despite the pain and realized that I was in the middle of a vast, green meadow. Long grasses swayed back in forth in time with a gentle breeze that ruffled strands of my dark hair. Far in the distance, a shining metal structure surrounded by other equally marvelous buildings resided. Somehow I had made it to Asgard. But where was everyone else?

"You're Lena Stark, I presume."

I had completely forgotten about the person who had jostled me until their silky, eloquent voice filled my ears. Sitting up carefully, I turned my head to face the figure who had woken me. It was a man kneeling by my side, with inky black hair and startling green eyes. His dark eyebrows were drawn in, thin lips in a tight line. He had a face that I was startled to realize I recognized. A face I had seen plastered onto every TV screen when I had gone to D.C. with Pepper. A face that I had seen look completely passive as the man disappeared from Central Park along with Thor eight months ago. My chest tightened.

"You're.." I started shakily. "You're Loki."

The God's expression did not change as he stood up and brushed the dust off of his green, black, and gold Asgardian clothing. He didn't seem to be fazed by my somewhat wary reaction.

"You did not answer my question. Are you the other Stark?"

I rose to stand on my aching legs. "Shouldn't you be in prison or something?"

Loki smirked and glanced down briefly. I noticed that there was a brilliant white stallion standing idly behind him. A slight frown appeared on my face, as I had never liked horses. Except for the animal, we were alone.

"Still not answering questions I see."

I crossed my arms defiantly over my chest. "Why would I explain anything to the guy that tried to enslave my entire planet?"

Loki's eyes flashed. "Do you really think I would be out here searching if I had not completed my sentence?"

A silence stretched between us. It was strange being face to face with the villain who had once tried to throw Tony out of Stark Tower to his death. A small part of me wanted to slap Loki across the face. The other, more popular part decided that he probably _wouldn't_ be out in the open all alone if he hadn't finished his stay in an Asgardian prison. If he had escaped, I was 99 percent sure he wouldn't be spending his free time out looking for me. Opening my mouth to apologize, I realized what the God had said and paused.

"Searching?" I questioned yet again. "Searching for _me?_"

Loki nodded. "The other Midgardians and my brother arrived near the palace, but your older sibling claimed that you had traveled here as well. We have been searching for hours."

My eyes widened. It hadn't occurred to me how much time had past. For all I knew, only minutes ago had been our departure from New York. Apparently though, it had been hours ago. If Tony had contemplated strangling me before, he would be sure of it now. Suddenly enveloped in a nervous panic, my gaze frantically searched the surrounding area.

"Have you seen a duffel around here?" I asked the Asgardian, turning away from him to look around.

"A what?"

A blue lump caught my attention from its spot a few feet to my left. "Nevermind."

After I had seen the old bag in the corner of my room, I had hastily packed everything I would need for a month's stay in Asgard. My plan had been to take the duffel of "old equipment" along to the park to see the Avengers off and then dash into their group at the last minute. They wouldn't be able to stop me then. It had all mostly gone off without a hitch, despite the fact that I had been laying unconscious in an Asgardian meadow for a few hours. I was still a little confused over why I had been separated and would have to ask Thor about it once we made it to the palace.

I was relieved to see that all of my belongings were still there when I pulled open the zipper. Taking a moment to glance over my appearance, I almost gasped. My green coat and jeans had been torn in multiple places. There was dirt and dust all over my clothing and probably in my hair. Along with looking like I had rolled around on the ground during the dust storm, there were superficial cuts on my palms and fingers. Hopefully Asgard had good showers.

Eager to get cleaned up, I turned and walked back towards Loki, who was running a slender hand over the mane of his horse. "Can you take me to the others?"

"I believe that would be intended point of this search." He replied, not even turning away from the stallion.

The sarcasm dripped from his smooth voice. It oddly reminded me of Tony, actually. The thought of comparing the two resulted in me having to suppress a chuckle with a small grin. The white horse neighed, as if it was doing the giggling for me.

I reluctantly took another step forward towards the huge animal. "Do we have to ride that back to the city?"

Now Loki gave me his attention. Pulling his fingers away from the thick white horse hair, he turned to glance at me. I took notice of the things that had changed since I had seen his face on every national news station. His dark hair was shorter and barely went past his ears. His skin, which had previously looked sickly, appeared to be a healthy, warm looking pale. There was also the fact that he had replaced his constant glare with a playful smirk. I was so busy studying the God's face that I didn't realize he had answered me.

"Of course."

I blinked. "What?"

Loki chuckled and began to climb onto the horse. "You may walk, if you would like."

Taking another look back at Asgard far off in the distance, I decided that walking might not be the best option. Even though I had feared horses since my 5th birthday party, I figured I had to get over it sometime. Now seemed to be the perfect situation.

I shook my head quickly. "I don't think so. Just, uh, help me up."

Completely situated on the horse, Loki extended his hand down to me. "As you wish."

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I reached out my own hand and placed it in his. I shivered a little at the cool touch of his fingers against my skin. Loki hoisted me up without effort and I took my place behind him on the horse's back. The animal shifted underneath us and I frowned, fearing I would get bucked off like the last time.

"Hold onto me." Loki instructed as he grabbed onto the reigns.

Not seeing many other ways to make sure I stayed on the saddle, I locked my arms around his torso. I could only imagine the small smirk that was most likely plastered on his face. Loki clicked his tongue, alerting the horse to begin running, or whatever horses do. Seconds later, we were riding off through the meadow and into the heart of Asgard.

* * *

**Again, I'm so sorry for the amount of time I took to update!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and liked the way I introduced Loki. We will be seeing a _lot_ more of him in chapters to come :)**

**Another thing; I realized that I never really said anything about the main character's name. Her _full_ name is Elena, but she prefers to be called Lena. Thor calls her Elena in the first chapter since he is pretty formal in the way that he speaks. **

**As always, I would love to see a lot of reviews! Seeing your feedback really inspires me to write some more!**

**xo, liz**


	6. Explanations

**Hello yet again! I was feeling inspired to write today, which is why this chapter came pretty quickly.**

**LucifersAngel23- SO glad to hear you think I portrayed Loki well. I was worried!  
kstar26- Yes, Loki does seem pretty friendly now, doesn't he? We'll get into that soon enough :)  
madisongjohnson - Thanks for the review! And that is the main focus of this chapter!**

**So here's the chapter! I hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 6

Asgard was one of the most beautiful places I had ever laid eyes on.

Loki and I didn't speak much, if at all, during our trip back towards the palace. I spent the majority of the time admiring the glorious structures and gardens that seemed to be everywhere. Most of the buildings' exteriors seemed to be made of metal, and in the fading evening light they appeared to be glowing. Once we had gotten out of the meadow and into the city, I began to take notice of all the Asgardians milling about. They were all dressed in lavish clothing in all sorts of colors. Long, velvety capes flowed behind the men while women were outfitted in dresses or skirts. I most likely looked odd to them in my tattered coat and jeans.

As we passed the citizens, they all seemed to halt their daily activities and stare towards us. I had been confused until I remembered that Loki was one of their princes and they probably always stopped and looked, out of respect. Either that, or they were baffled to see such a battered looking Midgardian girl riding on the back of a horse along with the former fugitive who had tried to conquer said girl's planet. As we made our way through the area, I began to lean towards the latter explanation. No matter the reason, my cheeks still flushed and I tried not to meet their eyes.

After around a half hour on horseback, we slowed down in front of a large golden gate. Two guards were posted at both sides, looking stoic and serious. Loki nodded to the one on the left as he halted the horse. The guard stepped to his right, towards a lever that appeared to open the gate, and pulled down on it.

"We've arrived," Loki announced, slightly turning his head in my direction.

As the gigantic metal doors creaked opened, I gulped, fearing how furious Tony would be once he saw me. I only hoped that we would have an audience, so he couldn't do anything too horrible. The gate had opened completely, revealing an extension of the path we were on into a tunnel that most likely led towards the main palace. Loki clicked his tongue once again, and we galloped away.

* * *

The first thing that I heard as I slinked into the grand throne room along side Loki was my brother's strained yell. As expected, he was mad.

"_ELENA ROSE STARK!_"

Tony had screamed, looking very red faced, as soon as he and the other Avengers had turned to see who had entered the room during their conference with an old looking man who I assumed to be the All-Father. My older brother's eyes widened immediately, causing me to instinctively step back and bump into Loki. Before Tony could run forward and attack me, Thor grabbed onto his shirt collar and held him in place. This action resulted in another outburst. Clint, Bruce, Natasha, and Steve all stood watching the situation unfold.

"Let go of me Goldilocks!" Tony snapped, trying to realease himself from his teammate's grip. His efforts were futile and only resulted in him thrashing his arms about wildly, and quite hilariously. I might've even laughed if I wasn't in so much trouble.

Natasha took a step towards Tony and frowned. "Calm down Stark."

I shot a thankful glance towards the SHIELD agent, who simply nodded in acknowledgment. My gaze crossed with Steve and our eyes locked for a moment. Arms crossed over his leather jacket covered chest, he was staring at me with a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. Disappointment that I disobeyed Tony? Relief that I was safe? Maybe it didn't mean anything. The connection was broken when his eyes darted towards the figure standing to my left.

"Loki," Odin suddenly boomed, cutting off any retort Tony might've come up with. "I see that you have found the girl."

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Loki nod. With a hand placed on the small of my back, he guided me forward to stand at the foot of Odin's magnificent throne. I averted my eyes from Tony's. It didn't mean that I couldn't still feel his piercing glare focused on me.

"_You_ found her?" Tony, who had stopped struggling, gaped. "Can someone please explain to me why Reindeer Games isn't locked up in the stables?"

Odin slammed his fist down, causing all of us to turn towards the elder Asgardian. "Enough!" He looked at me, fingers rubbing his bearded chin. "Now, how did you end up separated from the others?"

The same question I had been pondering since my arrival had finally been brought up. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to answer it. I had jumped through the same portal as everyone else, yet ended up somewhere else. The fact that I had no knowledge of inter-dimensional travel didn't help much either.

"Well," I stammered, setting the duffel down at my feet. "I'm not exactly sure."

The King of Asgard frowned. It appeared that he had no way to explain the situation either. He looked down at Thor expectantly, hoping that his son would have some answers for us.

Thor had finally let go of Tony's collar and nodded towards the All-Father. "Lena did not have a connection to us as she traveled between realms. We had linked arms, but she did not. I believe that was what caused her to land..." He trailed off, glancing towards me.

"In a meadow," I piped up, realizing I had never explained where I had ended up.

"Yes," Thor continued. "That is what appears to have happened."

The explanation seemed logical enough to me. Odin seemed to make sense of it as well and stood up from his throne.

"Very well." He said, addressing the Avengers. "We shall continue our earlier discussion after tonight's meal. Thor, show our guests to their chambers."

Steve, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up. "Thank you, All-Father."

Odin nodded and looked to his other son. "Loki, escort the girl to the infirmary. She seems to have been through a lot."

My cheeks immediately flushed. I had momentarily forgotten about my ragged appearance. The soreness in my joints and muscles had relieved, luckily. Unfortunately though, my clothes hadn't been magically cleaned and repaired.

"Not so fast," Tony interjected, holding up his hands. "We need to have a talk. _Alone_."

* * *

I would've maybe been able to appreciate the glorious views from the palace balcony if my older brother hadn't been burning holes right through me with his icy glare.

"I'm sorry, Tony." I said for probably the sixth time.

Currently, my older sibling was leaning against the stone railing, shaking his head back and forth. Although I had tried to avoid coming outside by claiming that I should probably get to the infirmary as soon as possible, no one had bought it. We had been out here, with Tony lecturing me on everything I had done wrong for about five minutes.

"I'm past the point of being angry that you're here," Tony continued. "Because there's nothing I can do about it now. I asked to send you back home, but the Asgardian version of Nick Fury said that traveling to Earth is a rare occurrence around here. All I want is for you to realize what a _stupid_ thing you did. You could've gotten yourself killed, you know?"

"I know it was stupid," I admitted quietly. "But I couldn't handle the idea of staying on Earth for an entire month without having any idea what might be happening to you. When you were captive in Afghanistan a few years ago, I almost lost it, Tony. Just please forgive me."

Tony's dark eyes locked with my identical ones, and I immediately knew everything between us had been settled. We might've had our fights over the years, but we couldn't go too long without reconciling. After all, we were the only Starks left.

"Of course I forgive you. I'm just glad you're safe, sis."

He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, bringing back some of the pain I had felt in my muscles earlier. I was just glad to be back in good graces with Tony.

"Well," He sighed, pulling away from the embrace and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Let's get back inside. I have a feeling that these Asgardians can make a mean meal."

* * *

**Ta da! Another chapter is done. I didn't want to make Lena and Tony's reconciliation too rushed, but I feel like Tony wouldn't be one to hold a grudge against his little sister for long. **

**Hopefully I will be able to update some more this week! I'm excited to get into developing Lena's relationship with Loki, as well as with Steve :) The next chapter should definitely be up either Monday night or Tuesday during the day, since I have school off! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**

**xo, liz**


	7. Conversations

**Hello again! I'm so sorry that I took so long to update! This week was just incredibly busy. **

**Theta-McBride: thank you so much!  
madisongjohnson: thank you very much! and this chapter has a little bit of Lena and Loki for you ;)  
kstar26: Lena and Steve will get a little time this chapter as well :)  
paulsgirl123: that is so great for me to hear! here is the update!**

**I hope you guys like this chapter. I think it's the longest one so far! As always, please read and review :)**

* * *

Chapter 7

It was safe to say that I had never been so full in my entire life.

Once Tony and I had settled our differences, we had walked back inside to find that we were alone in the throne room. The Avengers had most likely wondered off to their rooms for the next month, having grown tired of waiting for us throughout our long discussion. Lucky for my brother and I, one of the King's servants had entered and offered to show the two of us where we would be staying. Being the _wonderful _sibling he is, Tony had insisted that I be taken to the infirmary to be checked over. I had groaned in disagreement, but that didn't seem to effect the servant's decision to rush me in that direction right away.

After my thankfully short check up, I had been given a chance to change out of my tattered clothing and into one of the other outfits I had packed in my duffle bag. Unfortuantely I had been led to the dining hall before I had been able to take a shower. It was there where my stomach had been filled to full capacity with marvelous delicacies of Asgard. There had been at least ten types of fruit, a countless number of wines, multiple animals that I had never even heard of, and twelve different choices for dessert. That hadn't even been half of it.

From my place between Tony and Clint, I had mainly stayed quiet throughout the course of the meal. The majority of the talk had consisted of Asgardian weaponry-which Tony was very interested in-and any information that the All-Father had about Thanos that his son hadn't already informed us of. Not being a part of the team, I didn't feel the need to speak up about anything concerning the upcoming war with the Titan. Of course I wasn't opposed to answering any questions that had been directed my way. Most of them had been asked by Frigga, Thor and Loki's kindhearted mother. When I had entered the room, she had stood up and greeted me with a warm smile and motherly hug. It had been a while since I had felt that sort of caring nature towards me, my own mother having died when I was young.

During the magnificent dinner, I had found it hard to keep myself from stealing glances over at Loki. He had barely spoken at all, only observing with his striking emerald eyes that darted between each team member as they spoke. I had still not become accustomed to the idea that the God of Mischief was sitting in the presence of the very group of people he had tried to destroy just eight months earlier. The even stranger thing was that he hadn't even seemed to mind. He had caught my gaze once, his mouth turning up into a small, knowing smile. I had immediately looked away.

We had finished eating after about an hour and a half. A huge number of servants had strolled into the room as we stood up from our places at the gigantic table. That's what lead me to where I was currently, slowly walking towards the wide golden archway that opened up into the hallway alongside Tony.

"And once again, Tony Stark is right." My older sibling said with a nudge, referring to what he had guessed earlier about dinners on Asgard.

I laughed. "Of course, Anthony. You're _always_ right."

"Look who's finally catching on."

As I was about to say my extremely sarcastic response, I saw Tony frown at something-or _someone-_approaching us.

"What do you want, Capsicle?" He asked through a sigh.

Attempting to cancel out my brother's coldness, I smiled at Steve. "Hi there, Cap."

The Avenger had obviously changed before coming to dinner. He donned a leather jacket over a blue button up that matched his eyes, along with khaki pants. His classic look from the time period when he grew up made me smile a little wider.

Ignoring Tony's less than enthusiastic reaction, he looked towards me. "Would you mind if I borrowed you for a moment?"

"Of course not," I replied, looking pointedly at the frowning figure standing next to me. "Tony was just going to talk to Bruce about scientific stuff anyways."

Tony rolled his eyes, but began to walk away towards Bruce who was conversing with Clint and Natasha near the entrance to the hallway. "Fine. See you later."

After Tony was out of earshot, Steve spoke. "So I guess our little talk in the gym didn't do much to sway your decision."

I blushed, tucking a piece of brown hair behind my ear. Steve's speech about why I should stay had been _somewhat_ convincing, but not enough to make me stay at Stark Tower. I doubted that anything that anyone said would've been enough to keep me from sneakily traveling to Asgard. I told him that, and he shrugged.

"Probably not." His blue eyes darted down towards his feet and then back up to mine. "I'm glad you're okay."

My mouth opened to say something clever, but no words came out. The urge to jump forward and wrap my arms around his strong form almost overpowered me. It probably would've, if the All-Father's booming voice hadn't filled the room a moment later.

"We shall continue our earlier discussion in the Throne Room now." Odin instructed.

I couldn't keep an annoyed sigh from escaping my lips. Steve frowned and glanced towards the other Avengers, who were beginning to walk towards the All-Father. My giddiness had been replaced with disappointment. There was no way that Tony would let me in that room to have anything to do with the battle against Thanos. Not that I wanted to listen to everyone drone on about plans of attack, but I would rather do that than explore the palace all by myself. It suddenly dawned on me that most of my trip to Asgard would most likely consist of me doing just that.

"I should go," Steve said, shaking me from my thoughts. "Try not to do anything else reckless, alright?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We'll have to see."

With one last pearly white smile, the Captain turned and walked off towards the Avengers and Odin. They exited through a door at the opposite end of the room and I was left standing alone. My eyes quickly scanned the room to see if Loki or Frigga happened to be anywhere near. I assumed they had slipped away earlier, when I had been talking to Steve or Tony. Exhaling slowly, I started towards the hallway to try and somehow find my room.

"Lady Stark?"

A small Asgardian with white blonde hair and bright eyes had called out my name from the archway. I recognized her as the servant who had shown me to the infirmary earlier. Maybe she would know where I needed to be going.

"Would you mind showing me to my room?" I asked once I reached her.

"Of course." The girl replied curtly. "Right this way."

She walked out of the grand room, me following in suit, and into the vast hallway that would hopefully lead me to my home for the next month.

* * *

I didn't stay in my room.

Sure, it was a beautiful space, with large windows, lavish pillows, and a luxurious marble bathroom. The problem was, there was nothing to _do_. That simple fact is the reason why I found myself wondering through the palace about ten minutes after being introduced to my chambers. There were at least twelve different rooms with similar doors to mine in the hallway, which I assumed to be other bedrooms. I walked through a small garden and outside space with an elegant fountain before coming across a set of doors that caught my eye.

Towering and a dark golden color, they were slightly ajar. Upon closer inspection, I could see shelves through the small opening. An endless number of shelves, all filled with an incredible number of books. There was no doubt in my mind that I had come across the palace's library. An excited grin crept onto my face as I stepped forward and pushed the doors open.

Reading had always been my one true love. While Tony liked reading lab reports and scientific journals filled with numbers and experiments, I loved getting lost in the pages of works of fiction, both old and new. I had read _To Kill A Mockingbird_ about ten times, never tiring of the classic American novel. There was a very slim chance that an Asgardian library would carry any of my favorites, but I at least had to find out.

I had been sitting in a plush leather chair for about half an hour, thumbing through a book on mythology when I heard the silk smooth voice.

"I see you have discovered the library."

The sight of Loki leaning against one of the shelves in front of me nearly gave me a heart attack. With a jump, the book tumbled out of my hands and onto the floor. The God was smirking, outfitted in black and green as usal. Shaking my head, I got up to collect the book that was splayed out on the wood floor.

"How long have you been here?" I wondered, setting the book on a table beside me.

Loki stepped forward, interlocking his fingers behind him. "Do you like to read?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You didn't answer my question."

"As you did not answer mine earlier," He defended smoothly, his smirk looking even more mischievous.

"I love to read." I snapped, starting to grow tired of his sneaky ways of speech.

"I have been here since before you walked in. I figured I should not disturb you while you were so preoccupied with that book."

He had been here the entire time? I was beginning to become more convinced that Loki was as sly and sneaky as his title let on.

"Well, you definitely disturbed me when you scared me half to death a few minutes ago." I shot back.

Loki nodded, his mouth now in a thin line. "I was just leaving, actually."

A wave of _something_ hit me. Relief? Disappointment that our conversation was ending? I wasn't sure. The Asgardian was staring at me, as if waiting for my response. When I said nothing, he spoke again.

"Good night, Lena."

"Good night to you too, Loki." I said as he began to walk towards the doors that would lead him out of the library.

At the last minute, he turned back towards me. "By the way, wonderful choice in selecting that book."

My gaze immediately shot to the book that I had placed on the table. It took me a moment to realize that the title had changed from _Myths of Asgard._ The maroon cover now read _Gods of Asgard: Loki_. I looked up quickly, ready to glare at the God of Mischief. But he was already gone.

* * *

**Woo hoo! I hoped you guys liked the interactions with Loki. I promise Lena will get some more time with Steve soon. Again, I'm really sorry that this took way longer than planned.**

**On a different note, I saw Skyfall last night. It was a really great movie, and I definitely recommend it!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**xo, liz**


	8. Preparations

**I AM SO SORRY!**

**I had lost the motivation to write for a VERY long time, and I didn't get my inspiration back until I sat down and watched the Avengers yesterday. So as payment for making you all wait so long, here is a chapter that is longer than usual! Almost 3,000 words! I hope it is up to par with what you guys have been waiting for!**

**Theta-McBride: I'm glad you thought that was funny! I felt like that was something Loki would definitely do to get under someone's skin.  
mrssteverodgers: thank you so much! here is a long awaited update! it's also so great to hear that you think I've been capturing Loki well... I've been nervous about that!  
kstar26: here is a longer chapter for you!  
StarbeamatNyght: thank you so much! and do I still get cookies? :)  
Aliks: thank you! I love the idea also.  
Zippythewondersquirrel: I'm so glad that you enjoy Lena's character!  
ejewell62: here is another chapter for ya!**

* * *

Chapter 8

I had never been a morning person.

Turns out, being in Asgard didn't change that. When the daylight hours finally did come around, the blinding rays of sun hitting me straight in the face for the second day in a row, I wasn't too keen on climbing out of the plush, extremely comfortable bed in my temporary room. Of course, it didn't help that I hadn't slept well again. I had exited the library a few minutes after my brief conversation with Loki, refusing to look at or put away the book that he had replaced mine with. As soon as I had left the immense room, a wave of tiredness and exhaustion had hit me that I hadn't felt at all during my reading. I assumed that it had to do with the fact that I had traveled between dimensions, crash landed in a meadow, faced the wrath of Tony Stark, and dealt with an incredibly sly and frustrating god all in the same day. Everything had been slowly taking a toll on me, making it hard to do anything but stumble back towards my bedroom.

Barely making it through my pre-sleep preparations, I had collapsed onto my bed, only to feel as wide awake as ever. My newfound alertness made me want to scream or throw something across the room. A quaint vase on my bedside table had looked very appealing, but I had refrained. I felt like I had caused enough trouble in Asgard already, and didn't want to add a broken glass covered room to my list of bothersome acts.

Sleep didn't end up finding me until around 3 in the morning, much to my dismay. So, when a gentle but very noticeable knocking on my door stirred me awake around 7 a.m., it's needless to say that I wasn't too happy. My eyes fluttered open, an involuntary groan escaping my lips as my sight was blocked by harsh sunlight. I rolled over on my side, eager to tumble back down into the dark and refreshing silence of a deep sleep. The will to wake up wasn't helped by the softness of my sheets and the crazy cushiness of the pillows that I had never quite experienced before. Who knew that beds on Asgard were so much more comfortable?

"Lady Stark?" A small voice called from the other side of my door. I recognized it as belonging to the servant girl who had led me to my room the day before.

If it had been anyone that I really knew, I wouldn't have hesitated in yelling at them to leave me alone or to go away. Perhaps they wouldn't get a response at _all._ But this young girl had been nothing but helpful and polite to me, so I figured I should show the same niceness to her, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. Deeply exhaling, I rose up from the tangle of covers and swung my feet onto the cool floor. I hastily combed my fingers through my hair in a last attempt to look somewhat presentable. Padding across the room in my bare feet, I reached the door and slowly opened it.

The girl smiled when she saw me. Whether that was a smile of amusement or her positive disposition, I wasn't sure. "Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes in the Grand Hall."

"Thank you," I replied, stifling a yawn. "I'll be there."

She didn't say anything else, only nodded and then disappeared down the seemingly endless hallway. I closed the door and turned back towards my room, trying to rub the tiredness out of my dark eyes. Upon further inspection the night before, I had found that Asgard did in fact have clocks, and that they had a very similar system of time to the one on Earth. I glanced towards the analog clock that rested on my nightstand and found that it was now 7:05. I would have enough time to take a quick shower and get dressed before getting to the Grand Hall around 7:30. Grabbing some the small bottles of shampoo and conditioner that I had packed from my duffel bag, I strolled into the large marble bathroom, in hopes to make myself a little better looking than I had the day before. Although, I figured anything would do over tattered clothing and mud smeared hair that I had previously sported.

* * *

"Lena Stark, dressed and awake before 8 a.m.? It's a miracle!"

I shot what I hoped looked like a menacing glare at my brother as I sat down next to him at the enormous table. Despite my best efforts, I had gotten to the dining area a little later than planned. The shower had been a little more confusing to work out than expected. I had finally figured the system out after both scalding my skin with hot water and freezing it with cold.

"Funny Tony," I answered cooly, placing a thick cream colored napkin in my lap. "I was about to say the same to you."

Tony rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. I took the brief pause in conversation to place what looked like a bread of some kind and some various fruits on my plate. A glass had already been filled with water, which I took a small drink out of. Glancing around the area, I realized that I must've been the last to arrive to breakfast. The entire Avenger team, as well as Odin, Frigga, and Loki, were all seated and enjoying another lavish meal. I attempted to conceal a slight flush in my cheeks. First, I had traveled to Asgard without permission and caused a multiple hour long search to find me, and now I was displaying myself as someone who showed up late to scheduled meals. I made a mental note to improve on my behavior.

"Earth to Lena?"

My eyes snapped up towards the speaker, who happened to be Tony. Apparently, I had zoned out. "What?"

He nodded across the table, towards Frigga, who was gently smiling at me. "I asked how you had slept, dear. You seem somewhat flustered."

"Oh," I remarked, shrugging. "I guess I'm just a little tired. I actually didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Stayed up late reading, did you?" A smooth voice spoke from beside Odin's wife.

Loki's passive facial expression didn't give away his sarcasm, but his eyes did. I opened my mouth to say something, but stayed silent. Why did he think he could act so snarky towards _me_? Or did the God of Mischief act like this towards anyone that he met? I could feel Steve's somewhat confused gaze as his eyes glanced between Loki and I. In fact, it seemed like _everyone_ was looking at me, awaiting my response to whatever Thor's brother was talking about. Before I could say anything, Odin's booming voice was heard from the head of the table. Everyone's eyes left me, thankfully. All except for a pair of dark green ones.

"Now that everyone is in attendance," Odin began, rising from his seat. "We may discuss tonight's festivities. It is customary to throw a welcoming celebration upon the arrival of guests to the Palace. This evening we shall hold a formal ball to officially welcome you all to Asgard."

As soon as the All-Father had finished his short speech, Natasha spoke up. "If you will sir, shouldn't we begin our training and preparations as soon as possible?"

One part of me knew that the Black Widow really did want to start training right away. The first thing I had noticed about Natasha was her no-nonsense attitude, always putting everything she had into the task at hand. The other part of me knew that she just didn't want to get dressed up and dance around like a frilly girly-girl. No matter how beautiful she looked with her hair curled and in an elegant dress, it was no secret that Natasha felt most comfortable in a SHIELD uniform, or jeans and a tee shirt, like she was currently wearing.

Clint, who was unsurprisingly sitting next to his fellow SHIELD agent, nudged her a bit. "Come on, Nat," He urged her with a small smile. "I think we can take one night off."

I have to admit that it kind of surprised me how easygoing Clint was regarding the whole party thing. Much like the other SHIELD operative, he wasn't usually one for fun and games. Then again, maybe Clint just wanted an excuse to spend time and dance with Natasha. She gave him a questionable look, but didn't pursue her suggestion any further. That seemed to please Thor, who stood up from his place next to Odin and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"This shall be great fun!" He exclaimed, his blue eyes crinkling as he grinned. "I assure you, my friends, that we will have the best of times!"

My eyes traveled around the table, taking in the reactions of Thor's teammates. Steve's blue eyes were set on his Asgardian friend, a slight smile on his lips as he enjoyed Thor's childish excitement. Next to the Captain, Bruce didn't seem to be reacting at all, only finishing what was left of the food on his plate. Natasha looked somewhat defeated, but as usual, wasn't giving away very much emotion as Clint muttered something to her. To my left, Tony was grinning and saying something about how he would gladly supply the "life of the party". Nothing new or unexpected from my brother.

It dawned on me that I hadn't taken the time to think about my opinion on this whole thing. Sure, socializing was fine, but I had been burned out by the hundreds of fundraisers and social gatherings I had been more or less forced to attend as a Stark. I liked wearing pretty dresses and getting my hair done as much as any other girl, but trying to survive and immerse myself in a room full of Asgardians who already saw me as an outsider... Well, I wasn't too excited about that. My nervousness is what led me to timidly speaking up after the other voices had died down.

"Am I attending this also?"

Odin turned his gaze towards me. "Of course! You are our guest as well."

_Damn_. "I just wasn't sure, since I'm not an official team member or anything." I tried to explain without my voice faltering. "And I didn't bring anything nice to wear."

Somewhat satisfied with my excuses, I pursed my lips and glanced around the group. It was fairly hard to miss the pointed look that Natasha was giving me. I translated it to something like, _if I'm going through this then so are you_. Flashing her an apologetic smile, I quickly looked in another direction. For some odd reason, I found myself staring towards Loki's spot at the table. His thin lips were quirked up into a smirk as his eyes darted all over my face, seemingly examining my expression. I found myself staring stubbornly back, not wanting to be the first to look away. That is, until someone else spoke up.

"Oh don't worry, dear." Frigga's soft voice chimed from across the table, turning my attention towards her. "I have just the thing in mind for you."

* * *

A dress had never been more intimidating.

It was a long, sea foam green gown. The sleeves were quarter length, and looked like they'd end a little beyond my elbows. It had an empire waist along with a slight dip in the neckline. There were golden accents and embellishments that gave the dress a pretty, sparkling look. The skirt was the kind that flowed beautifully whenever you walked or spun around in it. I had never seen a more beautiful garment, which was saying something, considering I had worn all of the top designers to multiple parties and events in years past. I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't be allowed to wear such a magnificent piece of clothing. Sure, I was Lena Stark the billionaire back on Earth, but here, I was just a Midgardian girl who happened to tag along with her superhero brother and his teammates. Still, explaining this to Frigga multiple times hadn't swayed her in the slightest.

"Now you try that dress on right away," She ordered, managing to sound like a figure of authority and a kind old woman at the same time. "I will be back in a short while to fix your hair."

Before I had the chance to retort, Frigga had quickly and silently slipped out the door, leaving me alone and staring at the remarkable dress. Sighing, I stepped forward and grabbed the hanger that had been holding up the garment. I laid it gently down onto the comforter that covered my mattress and began to undress. I figured that there was no way possible to avoid trying it on, what with Frigga's enthusiasm towards tonight's event. She had been practically glowing when she had entered my bedroom a few minutes earlier and presented my outfit to me. Maybe it would end up looking good after all.

I was rather surprised at how perfectly it seemed to fit me once I slipped it on. Whether it was some Asgardian magic or just pure luck, I wasn't sure. No matter the explanation, the way it hugged me in all the right places made me smile a bit. Pulling my hair out of the ponytail that I had quickly thrown it up into this morning, I let the dark waves fall onto my shoulders and back. A full length mirror in one corner of the room caught my attention and I headed towards it. A sharp knock on the door had me turning around before I had the chance to examine my reflection.

Assuming it was Frigga, I immediately opened the door. Unless Odin's wife had turned into a tall, All-American looking man with pretty blue eyes and blonde hair, then someone else had come knocking and was currently staring at me, somewhat wide-eyed. Someone who looked a _lot_ like Steve Rogers.

"Uh.. Steve?" I stammered stupidly. "What are... Did you need something?" I found myself crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to conceal the extravagant outfit I was currently wearing. Yeah, it was a feeble attempt.

He coughed a little and locked his hands behind his back. "I was just wondering if you had any idea where your brother ran off to," He started, a sheepish smile forming on his lips. "He disappeared as soon as one of the Asgardians showed him what he would be wearing tonight."

I laughed, but it sounded forced even to me. "That, uh, sounds like Tony I guess."

Steve nodded, his light eyes lingering on the floor for a moment. I took the chance to nonchalantly run my fingers through my somewhat unruly hair. When our gazes met again, I hoped that I had improved the condition of my dark locks instead of worsening it. Due to the look on Steve's face, I figured that I didn't look too crazy.

"I'm guessing that's the dress that Frigga had in mind for you to wear?" He asked, pointing towards my outfit.

"Yeah," I muttered, smoothing out the silky fabric a little out of nervousness. "It's not too much, is it?"

His eyes lingered on mine for a second longer than they should have before he blinked and shook his head. "No, not at all." He paused and smiled a little. "I think you look beautiful, Lena."

My cheeks immediately reddened. Why did he have to keep saying such sweet, heart warming things like _that_? Not that I was really complaining. I was just waiting for the day where I'm able to carry on a normal conversation with Steve Rogers without it ending with me blushing furiously. Apparently, that day would not be today, no matter how hard I tried. It also seemed to be the day of people interrupting me before I had the chance to say anything, because at that moment Frigga had reappeared just down the hall.

"Oh, Lena!" She cooed. "You look marvelous!"

I reluctantly looked away from Steve, who had glanced downwards, and towards Frigga. She had reached the two of us and place a dainty hand on my shoulder.

"Come along now," She insisted gently, prodding me back into the door. "We've got much to do. You can speak with Mr. Rogers later tonight."

I cast an apologetic glance and smile at Steve as he backed away from the doorway. "I guess I'll see you tonight, Lena." He managed to say before Frigga closed the door.

My gaze stayed on the closed door for a few seconds longer. I found myself wondering when - or _if_ - anything was ever going to be different between the Captain and I. Maybe it just wasn't the right time, considering we had both just arrived in a completely different world. He had a job to do, fighting for the safety of Asgard, while I had merely tagged along for the ride. I wasn't able to think much further past that when Frigga began speaking and recaptured my attention.

"Let's see," She began, tapping her index finger on her chin. "What can we do with that hair?"

* * *

**Again, I am so terribly sorry that this took so long. I completely understand if I've lost some readers and followers due to this :( Hopefully most of you guys have stuck with me! I'm making it my goal to update more regularly again. We should definitely be seeing the next chapter soon, since I'm very excited to write the ball scenes and maybe some unexpected action ;)**

**Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope everyone has had a great Winter Break! I know that I have definitely enjoyed being able to sleep in a lot. ****As always, PLEASE REVIEW! More reviews will inspire me to write more and write sooner!**

**Also, if you guys ever have ideas for things you would like to see in this story, please PM me or leave your suggestions in your reviews. I will gladly accept any ideas about where the plot should lead or which of our two leading men you want Lena to end up with!**

**xo, liz**

**p.s.- if any of you have not seen The Dark Knight Rises, then you have truly not seen the greatest movie ever made. I love Christian Bale. **

**Ok now I'm going :)**


	9. Interactions

**So sorry for the long wait! Don't kill me. This chapter has a lot of Lena/Loki for ya. Hope you like :) Also, thank you for the 9 reviews. Maybe we can get to 10?**

**Ellize Avalon- sorry the update took so long! glad you like the love triangle!  
SawdustRestaurants- so glad to hear you're hooked :)  
AvengersGirl-LokisSpy- yay :)  
Zippythewondersquirrel- if the story goes like i'm planning, Lena is going to have a HUGE role in defeating Thanos. she will also get into some trouble along the way though ;)  
GirlofRainbows- in the next few chapters we will see more of Lena and Steve :)  
StarbeamatNyght- have you had time to watch the Dark Knight Rises? It's really the best :)  
Lady Syndra- hahaha Loki's opinion of Lena's dress is addressed in this chapter :)  
kimanicat99- your review inspired me to finish this long awaited chapter!**

**NOTE BEFORE WE START: If you check out my profile, I have a new collection of one shots titled "The Life and Times of Lena Stark". This will be updated every once in a while and feature moments between Lena and the team before "Renew". So if you like Lena, PLEASE CHECK OUT THAT STORY!**

**Happy reading.**

* * *

Chapter 9

When I was little, maybe 5 years old, I remember a day when my mom sat me down and did my hair. I remember every bouncy, wonderful curl that she created in my dark brown tresses and how fascinated I was with the simple hairstyle. She had smiled at my reflection in the mirror and proudly presented me to Tony and my dad, who had clapped and treated me like a little runway model. That day, I remember thinking that no one would ever do something as wonderful and as beautiful to my hair as what my mother did with her old curling iron.

Although that day and hairstyle still hold a special place in my heart, what Frigga was able to do with my occasionally wild hair was just downright phenomenal. She had styled it in a gorgeous and extremely complicated updo that I had never sported before. After a lot of twisting and turning of multiple strands of hair, she finally presented me with a mirror to examine myself with. The front looked fairly normal, but still very elegant. When I was able to look at the back, I nearly gasped. It would be impossible to describe her work with words, as they would not do it any justice. My reaction ended up with me throwing my arms around Frigga, who I still had a hard time believing that I had only known for two days. She was so kind and motherly towards me that it seemed as if I had known the woman for my entire life.

"This is way too much, Frigga." I had told her, still admiring her intricate work.

She had simply smiled back and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It is no trouble at all, dear." The Asgardian had told me sweetly. "I never had the chance to style hair, for I never had a daughter of my own."

I had made some funny comment about how Thor and Loki probably never willingly volunteered, to which she chuckled at. After that, she had dusted my features with a surprisingly minimal amount of makeup compared to the extravagance of the clothing on Asgard. Most of it had been applied to my dark brown eyes, making them pop a little more than usual. Frigga had used the stash of makeup that I had brought along with me, and she was surprisingly good with it. The only thing I had to apply myself was the mascara, considering they didn't have anything like it on Asgard and Frigga found the brush slightly strange.

In the end, after much preparations, I (very modestly) decided that I looked fabulous. Despite all the visits to top salons and elite boutiques, I had never felt and appeared more beautiful. Frigga had commented that it was a certain "Asgardian glow" that came upon anyone who visited the realm. I found it very difficult _not_ to agree with the kindly queen.

After a motherly hug from Frigga and a few more glance over's in the mirror, I had taken a deep breath and stepped out of my room, feeling remarkably ready to face whatever these Asgardians would bring at me.

* * *

"You look... interesting."

My brother shrugged, running his fingers over the vermillion velvet cape that adorned his formal Asgardian attire. I found myself biting back a laugh. Tony had _always_ been a classic tuxedo kind of guy. It was surprising that he had even allowed his attendants to put him in anything other than his finest Armani suit.

"I kind of like it," Tony admitted, much to my shock. "Makes me feel all royal and fancy."

The laugh I had been holding in finally escaped me. "You look like you escaped from one of those Shakespeare in the Park productions, Tony."

In fact, _all_ of the Avenger men did. They had all been outfitted in the common Asgard men's formal wear, which looked a whole lot like battle armor. It was the same outfit that Thor usually wore whenever he came to visit the Tower. Each man had been given a different colored cape to give a little distinction between them. Tony's was a deep red that almost perfectly matched his Iron Man suit. Clint's was purple, Steve's was blue, and Bruce's was a deep emerald. I found myself wondering how Loki would feel about Dr. Banner donning his signature color. It wouldn't surprise me if Bruce found himself a victim of one of the god's tricks before the night ended.

Ignoring my last comment, Tony patted me on the shoulder and sauntered off to discuss something with Bruce. We were all waiting outside of the Throne Room, waiting for our big entrance. Both Odin and Thor had insisted on announcing our arrival to the guests before any of us entered. They thought it would make everything much more grand and enjoyable. I, for one, was completely dreading it. Wasn't it enough that the realm was throwing a ball in our honor?

"Looks like Frigga had something in mind for you too."

I spun around, careful to not mess up my intricate hair style. Standing before me was an uncomfortable looking Natasha Romanoff. Unlike the boys, our outfits were completely different and origial. Although we were both dressed in beautiful gowns, hers was inky black and had a high collar with no sleeves. Instead of gold embellishments, Natasha's gown sparkled with silver designs. Suddenly, I felt like I was wearing cheap hand-me-downs from Goodwill.

I nodded, glancing her up and down. "She had something for you too?"

A sad smile played on her lips. "Of course she did."

"You look great though, Nat," I told her honestly. "So why do you appear like you want to throw up?"

"You know I don't like dresses." She said with a sigh. "_Especially_ when I have to be me. Me, Natasha Romanoff, doesn't like dresses. She _hates_ them actually. It's usually much easier to wear something like this when I'm being someone that I'm not."

I thought back to the time when I only knew her as Natalie Rushman. Back then, she was always wearing cute business dresses and the occasional suit set. It must have pained her more than I had realized.

"Well, you still look great." I said with a shrug and supportive grin, flashing her a thumbs up.

"So do you, Lena." Natasha complimented, to which I smiled in return. "So, have you seen Steve yet?"

Here we go again. I could feel my cheeks flush, as usual. There hadn't been time to mention our encounter earlier while I was still getting ready. I actually had only seen Steve from a distance since then, giving him a small wave as one of the Asgardian servants messed with his cape.

As I was about to begin the description of the earlier events, a servant girl got our attention.

"We shall announce your arrival now." She informed us in a tiny voice.

_Alright_, I thought. _Here goes nothing._

* * *

"At least that's over," I muttered to myself, taking a seat on a plush looking chair thing that was a little away from all the festivities.

The introduction really hadn't been that bad, just a little too much for my liking. It had included a short speech from Odin about how the Avengers were going to help and how our arrival should be greatly celebrated and cherished or something. Of course, it had ended in a standing ovation that had gone on far too long. Long enough to elicit confused glances between the team members and I. After the clapping had ended, we had been let loose. I had immediately retreated to where I was sitting now, not too eager to join in on the socializing and dancing yet - if at all.

"Not one for joyous affairs, I see?"

The smooth voice made me jump, leaping up from my seat and spinning in the opposite direction to see who had been lurking behind me. Strangely, I wasn't surprised to see Loki Laufeyson, looking as smug as ever, leaning up against one of the gigantic columns. As I had guessed, he was wearing an identical outfit to the others. Of course, his cape was also green.

"Were you following me?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

He only smiled, interlocking his hands behind his back and striding forward. "You know, we must get past this ignoring of each others inquiries."

"I'm going to take that as a _yes._"

Loki's dark eyes stared into mine. "I assumed that it was you who was following me, Lady Stark."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the fact that I probably looked like a five year old kid. If he could act childish and snarky, then I could too. "I was here first, Mr. Mischief."

"Were you?"

I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to scream. Each time I spoke to the Asgardian, I felt like we couldn't get anywhere with our conversations. If "conversations" was even the right word. Our interactions mainly consisted of bantering back and forth, each trying to come out on top. Eventually, it would get exhausting. Yeah, I had reached that point.

"Look," I started sharply, jabbing a finger towards him. "All I wanted was to sit here for a moment with some peace and quiet and try to figure out how best to handle this whole party thing okay? I don't need anyone coming over here and bothering me. I especially don't need _you_and your sarcastic little attitude trying to get under my skin! Now if you would just please leave me alone and get back to your royal duties or whatever."

Loki was silent. For a moment, I feared that I had gone too far, and any second I would find myself pinned up against a wall or thrown across the room. Thinking about it now, I figured it probably wasn't the best idea to go off on the individual who had tried to destroy my planet. But the more rational part of me took over. The part that had seen Loki for the past two days being tolerable and non-threatening. I hoped he wouldn't obliterate me just yet. He confirmed my suspicions when he spoke again.

"I was merely going to ask you to accompany me in dance."

I blinked. "Huh?"

It was Loki's turn to roll his eyes. "You mortals surely dance, do you not?"

"Uh, yeah." I muttered. "But what gave you this idea?"

"It does not matter," He said, somewhat tersely. "I am a prince of Asgard, and I may dance with whom I please."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" It wasn't a good enough answer for me. He had to have _some_ motives behind this.

"You seemed out of place." Loki explained shortly. "I am no stranger to that feeling."

I was at a momentary loss for words. Was this him being sly, and just trying to get what he wanted? Or was he being sincere? Something about the look in his eyes made me think the latter, and a small smile appeared on my lips. The thought crossed my mind that it probably wouldn't make Tony too happy to see me fraternizing with the enemy, but I chose to forget about that.

Holding out my hand to him, I nodded. "Lead the way, Laufeyson."

* * *

The strange looks were somewhat hard to ignore. They seemed to be coming from everywhere, and from every single person we passed throughout our dance. They were all expressions of utter confusion, most likely as to why the celebrated Midgardian was up close and personal with the Asgardian who had attempted to take over her world. Luckily, living so many years in the public eye, I was able to completely disregard the nosy citizens of Asgard.

"You notice the stares," Loki said in a low voice, glancing down at me.

"Actually, I had just started to ignore them. But thanks for the reminder."

He smirked before spinning me around, then pulling me back against him. His bare hand was cool against mine, and I could feel the cold emanating from the other one that was placed on the small of my back.

"They are wary of me," Loki explained. "And of you, as well."

I laughed shortly. "Am I really that scary?"

He shook his head. "It is not often that a Midgardian comes to Asgardian. It is nearly unheard of for more than one to be in attendance. They are slow to accept what they are not familiar with."

We fell into a comfortable silence for the moments following. It was surprisingly relaxing to be swaying in time with Loki in the middle of the other guests. I would maybe even describe it as peaceful if I wasn't accidently bumping into another Asgardian every few minutes. It was also refreshing to be carrying a somewhat normal conversation with the God of Mischief that didn't include us trying to annoy each other.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I found myself wondering where Tony and the others were. I hadn't seen them since our extravagant arrival awhile earlier. I might've pursued the thought further if Loki hadn't spoken up.

"I was meaning to ask how you enjoyed the book the other evening," He said with a smirk.

Another eye roll. "I didn't read it."

He frowned. "I assumed it was what inspired your choice of gown color. Or was my presence simply enough?"

I glanced down at the green dress I was wearing. "Your mother picked it out, actually. I would've preferred something warmer. Green happens to be my least favorite color."

He laughed at that. "I am exceptionally good at detecting lies, Lady Stark. And _you _are lying, are you not?"

"Just when I thought you weren't so unbearable." I muttered.

"I shall take that as a yes." He smirked, mocking me from earlier.

Once again, the urge to slap the god across the face had bubbled up inside of me. Maybe I would've, if I didn't feel a tap on my shoulder. Dropping my hands from Loki's grasp and shoulder, I turned to face whoever had wanted my attention. My cheeks reddened furiously when I saw who it was. And he did _not_ look happy.

"Steve," I practically squeaked out. "Uh, hello."

His eyes were slightly narrowed. Not at me, but at the figure behind me. I couldn't even bear to turn around and see the grin that was most likely on Loki's face. Had he been hoping something like this would happen? He knew that if any of the Avengers saw the two of us dancing, then there would definitely be some animosity.

"I was wondering if I could cut in." Steve said, his voice tight. He somehow still managed to sound polite.

I still didn't look at Loki. "Of course, Captain." Loki agreed, his voice sounding somewhat acidic.

Steve finally brought his gaze on me. The frown had been replaced with a smile, much to my relief. I gladly accepted his hand before turning back towards Loki.

"Thanks for the dance," I said with a half smile.

He had returned to looking stoic, hands locked behind him once again. His mouth was in a tight line as he nodded, but there was still a barely noticeable sparkle in his eye.

I had just begun to walk away with Steve when a deafening scream resonated throughout the throne room. It was followed by a few more gasps and yells. My gaze immediately shot up to Steve's face. His hand had tightened around mine, making my heart quicken with fear. I was about to ask him what was going on when the lights suddenly went out.

That's when we heard the dark, sinister laugh booming throughout the space.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER!**

**Hehehe.**

**I am excited for the next chapter, since the plot really gets going. Any guesses who might be crashing the awesome Asgard party? Tell me your predictions in your REVIEWS. :)**

**I hope you guys liked the Lena/Loki interactions and that Loki is still in character. If you have any suggestions for improving my portrayal of Loki, please let me know. Also, tell me if you want her interacting with any of the other Avengers more, like Clint or Bruce or Thor.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**They will inspire me to update even sooner. Anyways, I hope this chapter was satisfying.**

**until next time,**

**xoxo, liz**


	10. Intrusion

**TWO DAYS IN A ROW! WOO HOO! I know that I didn't give enough time to get that many reviews, but whatever :)**

**Ellize Avalon: Your wish has been granted!  
msgone: Looks like Steve is a little protective of Lena huh? ;)  
666AnimeFan666: you'll get to see who the party crasher is!  
archangelavyn05: hahahaha LOVE that description :)**

**This chapter is eh. I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10

The sound made my skin crawl.

The fact that it was still nearly pitch black wasn't helping the situation. I tried turning my head in all different directions, frantically searching for any source of light, but none could be found. It was a strange feeling, attempting to see in the thick veil of black. If I didn't know better, I would've assumed that my eyes were just shut tightly, choosing to block out the light. Out of habit, I immediately began searching for the little circle of blue glow that signified the Arc Reactor. Unfortunately, I realized that it wouldn't be able to shine through the thick metal plates that adorned my brother's outfit.

The only thing I was sure of was my strong grip onto Steve's hand. He was somewhere to my right, I guessed. There was really no way to tell _exactly_ where until he said something.

As if on cue, I heard the Captain's familiar voice beside me. "Lena?" He spoke, sounding to only be about a foot away from me. "Stay close, okay?"

"Gotcha," I replied shakily, sounding a lot more fearful than I had wanted to let on.

The laugh had died down only a moment ago, along with any screams from the guests. There were still voices all around me, people bustling about and knocking into my elbows and back. Quite honestly, I was completely content with staying put until I knew what the hell was going on. I wondered where Loki was. Maybe he was still standing behind me, or maybe he had sauntered off to attempt to locate his father in all this darkness.

Suddenly, my sight was restored in the form of a glowing purple toned light. It seemed to be radiating from _something_. Something that happened to be a few feet before Steve and I. Being the brave individuals they are, all of the Asgardians standing between us and the glow backed away quickly, until we were at the front of the crowd. Briefly, I glanced around to see if I could find any familiar faces.

There had been a sort of circle created around the light, and the creepy figure kneeling in the middle of it. My frantic gaze found Tony, Thor, and Odin to my right. Natasha and Clint were directly opposite of us, standing alert at the other side of the opening. Bruce was standing somewhat near them with a dark haired woman who I remembered being introduced as Sif. The gang was all accounted for, to my relief. Now all we were waiting on was for the menacing looking _thing_ to say something.

Strangely, my left arm began to feel a little cooler. I turned my head in that direction and saw Loki standing beside me, glowering towards the intruder. Being sandwiched between a god and a super solider admittedly began to calm my nerves a bit. But of course, the feeling was short lived.

The glow rippled as the figure slowly rose to his feet. Involuntarily, I moved an inch back. The thing was dressed in a ratty black cloak with a large hood that almost completely shrowded its face. A gray looking chin jutted out, covered in what looked like a muted gold muzzle sort of thing. It was _very_tall. Probably as tall as the Mischief God situated next to me. It spread its arms out wide, revealing gangly fingers. When the grin appeared on its face, I cursed my fantastic eyesight. I would've rather not laid my eyes on its reddened sharp teeth, all jaggedly situated in an already scarred mouth.

"_Asgardians_," He growled in a booming and wince worthy voice.

Odin stepped forward, looking incredibly stern with his huge golden staff that he must've picked up at some point during the whole fiasco. "What business do you have here, stranger?"

The creepy guy completely ignored his question, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. The thing began slowly turning in a circle, seemingly staring down everyone until he finally rested his gaze on Loki. Steve seemed to absentmindedly push me back a bit, so I was somewhat behind him.

"Ah," It chuckled darkly. "The son of Laufey, released from his filthy cage."

Loki looked completely unfazed as he stared right back with his piercing green eyes. "I assume you have just barely seen the light of day as well. Has Thanos finally forgiven you for your failure, Other?"

_Other_ looked like he wanted to lash out towards the God of Lies. Something was keeping him in his place. Maybe it was the fear that Odin would blow him to pieces if he moved an inch before explaining the meaning of his intrusion. I could see the All-Father looking with a narrowed eye towards his adopted son. Maybe he, like I, was wondering how in the world Loki knew this creature.

"_Your_ failure, you meaningless fool!" Other hissed, pointing a spidery finger at Loki.

"_ENOUGH!"_

Thor's voice echoed throughout the room, making me tremble a little. He moved forward so that he was apart from the crowd.

"Explain why I should not obliterate you for merely crossing into our realm unannounced!" He snapped, revealing a side of the usually friendly god that I had never witnessed before.

I wasn't the only one who was freaked. The Asgardian guests had begun to back away even more, hoping to escape Thor's wrath, if possible.

Other laughed again, sending a shiver up my spine. "My master wishes me to deliver a message, now that the mighty Avengers have arrived."

For some reason, his statement made my throat dry. If Thanos was already planning something against the Avengers, then there would barely be any time for us to prepare. They had barely defeated the Chitauri last time, after a few weeks of collaboration. Something told me that the alien army was nothing compared to a Titan, though.

"Speak it," Thor commanded.

"My master requests a simple relic," He explained, his voice sounding gravelly and rough. "If you hand over the Tesseract, no harm shall come to your precious Asgard."

Thor actually scoffed. "Do you think us fools? The Tesseract is the rightful property of Asgard. We shall not comply with this barbaric request."

Other only shook his head, a deep chuckle resonating throughout the crowd. "You have made a grave mistake, Odinson. You think yourselves mighty enough to contend with my master, yet here you are, dancing and fraternizing like imbeciles!"

"Speaking of dancing," The too familiar voice spoke out somewhere to my right.

Tony. Wonderful.

_Don't be an idiot._

_Don't be an idiot._

_Don't be an idiot_.

Tony furrowed his brow, stopping his stride when he was beside Thor. "You've sort of, you know, put a downer on this whole party. And, considering you aren't really making any progress, why don't you just skedaddle Mr. Creepy."

I felt like I was going to scream. My brother was going to get himself killed. Right in front of me. If he made it out of this alive, I reminded myself to yell at him for confronting some intergalactic creature _without_ his damn suit on. My grip on Steve's hand tightened even more in anxiety.

Other laughed for, seriously, the sixth time. "The great Man of Iron, I see."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I'm even more famous than I thought."

"Yet, without your armor, you appear to be useless."

Now Tony frowned. "Well, that's debatable-"

The next few seconds seemed to happen incredibly slowly.

With a snarl, Other thrust his arm to the side, somehow causing Tony to go flying through the air. With a sickening smack, he hit against one of the enormous columns and fell to the ground. While my brother was still midair, a multitude of Asgardians shrieked, flinching away from the now dangerous seeming Other. Some of them flocked to the spot where Tony had fallen. .Simultaneously, I made a very, _very_ stupid decision.

"Tony!" I yelled, wrenching my hand away from Steve's grasp and leaping out into the center of the circle.

For a moment there, I had felt like nothing could keep me from getting to my brother. It had felt pretty good, until I realized I was running right across the path of the thing that had just assaulted Tony. Naturally, I froze, finding myself staring right at the hooded figure. Not my best plan ever.

"Very brave for a mere Midgardian girl," Other commented, moving an inch closer.

I nearly jumped when I felt a strong grip on my arm. In my peripheral vision, I could see that Steve had stepped forward as well. His presence made me feel a pinch better.

I looked Other up and down. "You don't seem that scary."

"Then you are as clueless as your kin," He sneered, taking a few steps back until he had reached the center of the circle again. "Thanos shall arrive as planned, due to your idiotic mistake. Prepare yourselves Asgardians and Midgardians. Even the mighty Avengers cannot save you now."

With a quick movement of his arms, Other disappeared in a flash of purplish light. His disappearance cast out a sort of shockwave, causing Steve and I to stumble backwards. Cap's hold on my bicep was the only thing that kept me standing. The familiar golden light began to fade back, making it much easier to see.

Before Steve could say anything, maybe even scold me for being so rash, I hurried towards where a group of Asgardians had gathered around my brother. I had to know if he was okay, and I knew that my heart wouldn't stop pounding until I was sure of his safety.

I was able to shove my way through the group until I was kneeling before him. To my utter relief, Tony was awake and leaning up against the same column that he had slammed into. It was easy to see that he was still dazed, but I had seen him experience much worse from an excessive consumption of alcohol in the years past.

My hand found one of his. "What were you thinking you idiot?!"

He seemed more amused than scared by the tone of my voice. "Come on sis," Tony muttered. "The guy called me useless. I had to say _something._"

I rolled my eyes. "If you hadn't just slammed into a wall, I would punch you in the face right now Anthony."

Though my voice was sharp and my eyes were narrowed, on the inside I was simply overjoyed that he was okay, and that both of us would still live to see yet another chaotic day.

* * *

I hadn't even bothered to change out of my dress.

The party had been ultimately ended after the appearance of Other-who I still wasn't sure of how he knew Loki-and once Tony was gathered up and taken to the healing room. No one exactly seemed like celebrating after a scary occurrence like that.

I wasn't allowed to stay in the infirmary over night, despite my protests. Tony had also insisted on me going to my room and getting a good night's sleep, considering the small ordeal I had gone through. Even though I hadn't been the one to hit a pillar, I was still mentally exhausted.

So here I was, completely ignoring my brother's advice. Instead of going towards my chambers, I had wandered into one of the many courtyards. Soft golden lighting flooded over the space, along with the added illumination from one of Asgard's many moons. I had seated myself on the edge of a fountain, occasionally dragging my fingers across its crystal clear water surface. The silence and serenity was a relief to my senses. They had been overwhelmed earlier with all of the extravagant colors and boisterous music. The quiet was wonderful. Though, I couldn't complain when I heard the soft, approaching footsteps and the familiar voice.

"How are you doing?" Steve asked quietly, taking a seat on the edge beside me.

I shrugged. "Better than some people."

He seemed to catch on to whom I was referring. "Thor told me that Tony was going to be fine. He remarkably didn't even break any bones."

I shook my head, eyes on the ground. "I still can't believe he actually did that."

My shoulder received a nudge. "I recall another Stark doing something _very_ similar."

Rolling my eyes playfully, I looked over at him. Steve was still wearing his formal outfit and cape, which he had carefully moved so that it avoided the fountain water. The deep blue color made his eyes stand out, which I had suddenly taken notice of. There was a small, innocent smirk on his lips as he awaited my reply.

"Not on purpose," I tried to say through a laugh. "There was no harm done anyways."

Steve shrugged with a sigh. "I guess you're right."

He paused for a moment, and we both sat in silence. It was nice, actually, just being in the Cap's presence. He was probably one of the only people I would want to be around at the moment.

"So," Steve spoke up suddenly. "Were you dancing with Loki tonight?"

Ah, the dreaded topic. I looked down towards my feet again, attempting to hide the usual flushing in my cheeks. "Yeah, we both felt a little out of place."

He looked a little uneasy. "I just... I want you to be careful. Around him, I mean."

For some reason, that hurt a little. But it was understandable right? Steve had fought against him, grown to hate him all those months ago. Even if I thought the God of Mischief was _somewhat_ enjoyable didn't mean that they were going to.

"I'll be fine Steve." I assured him, looking up. "Until Loki proves that I shouldn't trust him, then I'm going to give him a chance. Even if he does annoy me half the time. But I understand why you're nervous, considering his past relationship with the Avengers. I'm sure Tony isn't a fan of our interactions either."

Steve's blue eyes met my own dark ones. "We just don't want to see you get hurt, Lena."

"I know," I whispered, bumping his shoulder and smiling assuredly.

I found myself looking back up at the sky. It was a dark indigo, and littered with all sorts of stars and formations that I had never viewed before. It was strange, realizing that I was nowhere close to my home. It hadn't fully dawned on me yet just how far away we really were. Asgard had been so welcoming so far, that I hadn't noticed my homesickness.

"You know," I started, changing the subject. "I'm actually kind of disappointed that the ball had to end."

Steve nodded in agreement, a few strands of light hair falling out of place. "We never got to have that dance, did we?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You're exactly right, Mr. Rogers."

Then Steve was standing in front of me, one hand extended forward. "If you would please honor me a dance, Miss Stark?"

Grinning the widest I had that night, I gladly accepted his gesture. He helped me up, leading me to an open space in the quaint courtyard.

We danced for a while, swaying back and forth in silence. After a while, I rested my head on his chest, enjoying the tranquility of it all.

I didn't notice how late it was getting, or how tired I had become. I didn't even notice how my feet were beginning to get a little too sore. I didn't notice when the gold lighting faded away, leaving us only with the large, luminous moon.

And I definitely didn't notice the flash of green cape or shock of black hair as the silent figure turned away and lurked back into the palace.

* * *

**Hmmmmm I wonder who was standing there in the shadows... ;)**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I found it hard to write the scene with the Other because there was so much going on. I feel like the Avengers (other than Tony) wouldn't really try to intervene right away, since this is Odin's turf and stuff. Please post any comments or suggestions in your reviews!**

**since this was a really quick update, I probably won't be back until at least this weekend.**

**Oh, and for anyone who was upset about the ball being cut short, DO NOT FEAR. I have another one planned near the end of this fic :)**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**xoxo, liz**


	11. Exclusion

**I'm so sorry that this took so long! This chapter probably won't please most of you guys since its a little boring, but whatever. Next chapter will be more fun, I promise!**

* * *

Chapter 11

"Can we get this started already? I've got places to be, you know."

I rolled my eyes at Tony's fourth whiny comment. Slamming into a marble column didn't seem to have affected his snarky personality. He didn't seem to catch my degrading gesture from his place next to me at the large round table, luckily. Bruce, on the other hand, _did_ see, and shot me an amused smile. It was nice to see the good, serious doctor enjoy himself every once in a while.

Natasha practically snorted. "I highly doubt that, Stark. This is the _only_ place that you're supposed to be."

My brother sighed, interlocking his fingers behind his head as he leaned back as far as he could in the high-backed golden chair. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased with the current situation. We had all been called into a space that resembled a huge council room directly after a particularly early breakfast. The attendees included the usual suspects: the Avengers, Loki, Odin, and lastly, little old me. I had been taken a little off guard when my presence had been requested as well. It couldn't be that much longer before Tony refused to let me be involved in any of the Thanos dilemma. I felt like I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Though it was the All-Father who had called the impromptu meeting, he hadn't actually showed up yet. That left our diverse group sitting around the circular table, waiting for the final piece of the puzzle to make his entrance. Tony had gotten restless, as he usually did whenever he had to wait for something. On my left, Clint and Steve had been quietly conversing, attempting to pass the time. Everyone seemed to be doing or saying something except for me. Even Loki was (surprisingly) talking to Thor.

I had just considered carrying on a conversation with Tony when Odin walked through the doors. Well, he didn't _walk_ as much as he made an extremely loud and noticeable entrance. Asgardians seemed to be fond of doing things like that.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," Odin began to say as he took a spot beside Thor. "There were other manners to attend to."

It was Steve who spoke up on behalf of the group. "It's no problem, sir. We are ready to begin whenever you are."

Odin nodded, briefly glancing at each person seated around the table. "Yes," he started. "We must discuss last night's troubling intrusion. There was a lack of time to sort anything out due to the chaos and confusion."

"I'm fine, by the way." Tony blurted out, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"The first thing I wish to know," the All-Father began, completely (and hilariously) ignoring Tony's comment. "Is how my own son knows that foul creature."

All eyes flashed to Loki. The god didn't look surprised at all, sitting calm and upright in his respective chair. His cool green gaze almost lazily met Odin's one eyed questioning stare without hesitation.

"He is a minion of Thanos," Loki explained in that silk smooth voice. "The Other is the one who took me in whilst I was drifting through the galaxies."

"Wait a second," Bruce interjected. "You were working with Thanos during the Chitauri invasion?"

The God of Mischief began to shake his head, but stopped. "Technically. The two of us never met face to face. You could say that the Other acted as a sort of middle man. He relayed all of the Titan's messages and commands to me."

Clint leaned forward in his seat, propping his elbows up on the surface of the table. "So what do you know about Thanos then? You have to know _something_ if you worked for the guy."

A small, strange smile appeared on Loki's face. "Ah, Agent Barton, I know only as much as the rest of you."

The archer frowned. "How the hell is that even possible?"

I nervously glanced between the SHIELD Agent and Asgardian. It was plain to see that there was still a palpable amount of tension between them. Out of all the Avengers, I guess it was easy to understand why Clint would hold the biggest grudge against the God of Mischief. I doubted that the two would ever form any sort of friendship, considering Loki had gained control of Clint's mind for so long.

"Thanos was not exactly the most open employer," Loki said sharply. "As I previously stated, he did not even dare to converse with me in person, only through his pathetic henchman."

Clint scoffed, sinking back into his chair. "Then you're basically no help to us."

"Easy, Barton." Thor warned his fellow teammate. "My brother shall be a valuable resource concerning the Tesseract."

Odin placed a hand on his son's shoulder and looked towards him. "Your Midgardian friend arises a point that I must discuss," The elderly Asgardian began. "I am sure that you all are not trustworthy of my younger son, due to his past actions. In the best interest of Asgard, I have concluded that he shall have no part in our preparations against Thanos. I have discussed this with Loki prior to our meeting."

The entirety of the table fell silent. My gaze flashed to the green eyed God of Mischief. As usual, his expression gave nothing away. His own gaze was averted downwards, before popping back up to glance towards Odin. Out of curiosity, I examined the expressions of the Avengers. Most of them looked fairly indifferent. Clint was the only one who seemed slightly pleased with the All-Father's decision.

Apparently, Thor and Loki's father wasn't finished talking. "Upon speaking with Thor and his Iron comrade, we have also decided that our additional Midgardian guest will have no part in this either."

Additional Midgardian guest?

Wait.

That was me, right? Perking up in my seat, I looked between Tony, Thor, and his father. Unfortunately, they all had their eyes trained on me.

Two different plans popped into my head. I could argue and try to get my way, or I could just deal with it and be pleased with the fact that I had been allowed to stay in Asgard in the first place. Though I seriously considered the former for a moment, I ultimately decided to go with the latter. I had argued enough in the past days to tide me over for a while.

I showed my agreement in the form of a slow nod. "Understandable. What should I spend my time doing?"

Thor decided to speak up on that question. "You may explore the palace and spend your days however you wish. I am sure that my brother would be pleased to show you wherever you desire to go."

My dark eyed gaze met Loki's cool one. There wasn't much I could tell from the brief eye contact. His reserved personality had been quite the puzzler. Though I would never admit it, my thoughts on the God of Mischief's behavior had kept me up at night. Did he like me at all? Did he despise my very presence? Did he even _have_ an opinion? I found myself wanting to find out, for some reason.

"Alright," I stammered, realizing I hadn't responded to Thor's comment. "That sounds fine."

"In that case," Odin spoke again. "It would be best for the two of you to leave us now."

That probably shouldn't have taken me by as much surprise as it did. They would obviously be meeting about Thanos stuff, which I had just been told I was not going to be allowed to deal with. It was only fair for me to be booted from the meeting.

Tucking some hair behind my ear, I began to rise up from my chair. Tony's hand caught my arm, and I saw that he had looked at me.

"It's for the best, Lena," He told me quietly, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"I know, Tony." I assured him. "Just catch up with me later."

He winked. "Sure thing, sis."

With that, I stood up to exit the room. I briefly glanced around to see if Loki had gotten up to leave yet. It appeared that he had made his way over to the doors while Tony and I had been speaking. Pushing in my chair behind me, I hurried after the god and tried to catch up.

* * *

"Trying to evade me?"

The dark haired Asgardian didn't even give me the pleasure of turning around to acknowledge me. "I was not aware you were pursuing me." Loki explained, continuing his forward stride.

It was somewhat difficult to keep up with the exceptionally tall Asgardian and his long stride. After a brief struggle, I was able to fall into step beside him.

I looked up at him. "Thor _did_ say that you would show me around."

Loki chuckled. "My brother should learn to speak for himself."

"And I _am_ a guest in your home, you know. A good host should be willing to give a tour to their guest."

Loki suddenly halted in his stride. He turned to face me quite abruptly, causing me to slink back a little. I could tell he was somewhat annoyed, but the look in his emerald eyes let on that he wasn't actually angry.

"Very well, Stark." He spread his hands out, gesturing to both sides of the hallway. "Where do you wish to go?"

I was somewhat caught off guard by his question. Since it was his home, I had figured Loki would have an idea of which places to show me and which places to avoid. Besides, I had only seen a limited section of the palace. I had no idea what else was out there to explore and discover. My mouth stayed ajar for a few seconds before Loki caught on and spoke again.

"Exactly," he continued, lips forming a smirk. "No matter. I have a specific place in mind."

Interlocking his hands behind his back once again, the Asgardian began strolling down the hallway. Catching on, I quickly caught up to him.

"Where are we going?" I wondered, glancing up at him.

Though he never looked my way, I could see the smile on his face and the glint in his eyes. "You shall see."

* * *

**Not really happy with this chapter. Since nothing really happened. Next chapter will be mainly all Lena and Loki, which I know some of you will enjoy! I will try really hard to get that one up earlier.**

**Please review!**

**xo, liz**


	12. AN: Hiatus

Hello everyone!

As much as it does pain me to say this, I am going to have to put _Renew_ on a hiatus. I have not updated in a very long time and I don't think it is fair to those of you who might be still checking back on this story to keep waiting for an update. I have lost my inspiration to write this Avengers fic for a while, but I kept hoping that one day I would wake up and be graced with a completely awesome idea.

I don't plan on deleting this story because there is a chance that in a few weeks I might realize how to continue.

So I am very very very sorry to all of you who reviewed and were looking forward to the next chapter. Hopefully I will be able to continue this story eventually and you guys will still be willing to read it!

Until then, we are bidding _Renew_ a temporary goodbye. I will still be writing, in fact I have a Star Trek 2009 one-shot that I will be publishing within the next few days, so if you are a fan of that then feel free to check it out.

xo, liz


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